Johnny Depp Releases Video As Amber Heard Sues For Defamation

As his divorce continues to play out in the public arena, Johnny Depp has been overseas touring with his band the Hollywood Vampires.

The 52-year-old actor posted a surprise video to fans over the weekend to promote the band’s upcoming show in Bucharest, Romania, and marks his first official appearance since news of his split -- and subsequent claims of abuse-- broke.

"We hope to see you there and have some big fun," Depp says to the camera. "Have fun."

Depp has not yet commented directly about Heard's domestic violence claims, however his lawyer has stated, "Amber is attempting to secure a premature financial resolution by alleging abuse."

The video comes in the wake of news Amber Heard is sueing comedian Doug Stanhope for defamation.

Stanhope, who said he was a friend of Depp’s, penned a scathing guest column for The Wrap with the headline: ‘Johnny Depp is Being Blackmailed By Amber Heard – Here’s How I Know’.

In the article, Stanhope accuses Heard of “threatening to lie about [Depp] publicly in any and every possible duplicitous way if he didn’t agree to her terms” and alleges that his friend “got used, manipulated, set up and made to look like an a–hole”.

Heard claims that Stanhope’s accusations of false claims and blackmail are “completely false”.

“Heard never undertook any action that could even remotely be described as ‘blackmail’,” reads the suit.

The 27-year-old ‘Rum Diaries’ star is seeking the “maximum possibly jury award”, which she will donate to a domestic violence charity “in an effort to counter the setback made to women by the defendants’ defamatory article and related wrongful acts,” says to her lawyer, Charles J Harder.